UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili from Georgia stated he was too cautious in his first fight against Umar Nurmagomedov but vows not to repeat the same mistake in their rematch and promises to beat the Russian fighter.
The two first fought at UFC 311 in January 2025, where Dvalishvili won by unanimous decision.
Merab Dvalishvili
If I have to fight Umar Nurmagomedov next, I’m confident I’ll break him this time and beat him clean. Our last fight wasn’t like that. I was controlling things and won without taking unnecessary risks or headaches, but I won’t let him off and out of the Octagon this time. I’ll break him in the first minute and a half, then drag him around the Octagon for the remaining 23 1/2 minutes like a sack…Even after losing, he didn’t learn his lesson.
On October 5 at UFC 320 in Las Vegas, Dvalishvili will defend his title against Cory Sandhagen. Sandhagen’s last fight was in May 2025 at UFC on ESPN 67, where he defeated Deiveson Figueiredo by second-round TKO. Sandhagen holds an 18-5 record.
Dvalishvili’s latest bout was in June 2025 at UFC 316, where he submitted Sean O’Malley in the third round. His record stands at 20 wins and four losses.
